You treasure in your facks: I had your money. And he brought Si meon out unto them.

"

knowledge of the true God, and would have these Men acknowledge

God's

Providence in what had befallen them. I had your money: He does acknowledge the receipt of it, and fo far he fets them at ease.

24. And the man brought the men into Jofeph's houfe, and gave them water, and they washed their feet, and be gave their affes provender.

24. Washed their feet: See the Note on ch, 18. 4.

25. And they made ready their prefent against Jofeph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26. And when Jofeph came home, they brought him the prefent which was in their hand,into the houfe, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

26. Bowed down, &c. Thus is Jofeph's Dream farther fulfilled, ch. 37. 7.

27. And he asked them of their welfare, and faid, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye fpake? is he yet alive?

28. And they answered, Thy fervant our father is in good health, be is yet alive: and they bowed down their beads, and made obeyfance.

28. Thy fervant our father: Thus did Facob by his Sons pay Homage to Jofeph, See ch.37.9.

29. And he lift up his eyes, and faw his brother Benjamin, his mother's fon, and faid, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? and he faid, God be gracious unto thee, my fon.

30. And fofeph made haft for his bowels did yern upon his brother and he fought where to weep, and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

:

31. And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and faid, Set on bread.

32. And

32. For him by himself: As became him who was the fe

32. And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians which did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

cond man in the Kingdom. Because the Egyptians might not,&c. The Hebrews were Keepers of Sheep, which was an Employment which

was not pleafing to the more foft Egyptians, ch. 46.34. Befides, the Hebrews in their Worfhip of God by Sacrifices did thofe things which the Egyptian Superftition would not allow, Exod. 8. 26. Hence the Chaldee here fays, That the Hebrews eat what the Egyptians did worship. The Hebrews in their Eating as well as Sacrificing (and in their Laws afterwards) did offend the Egyptians, and run Counter to their Superftition. [See Herodot, Euterp. n. 46.]

33. And they fat before him, the first-born according to his birth-right, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.

34. And he took and fent mef- 34. Sent messes: fes, unto them from before him: but i.e. Jofeph fent them Benjamin's mess was five times fo from his own Table, much as any of theirs: and they times, &c. A token 1 Sam. 1.4, 5. Five drank, and were merry with him. of Jofeph's particular kindness, and poffibly intended as a trial of the Temper of his Brethren, whether they were free from Envy or not. However, certain it is, that fofeph's placing his Brethren, (v. 33.) and his kindness to Benjamin mentioned here, did give credit to his words, when he afterwards difcovered himfelf to be their Brother.

CHAP.

CHAP. XLIV.

The ARGUMENT.

Jofeph's Brethren are fent away, they are brought back again, and charged with having ftollen a Cup. Judah's bumble Supplication in behalf of Benjamin.

I.

ND he commanded the steward of his house,

A Jaying, Fill the men's Jacks with food, is must,

as they can carry, and put every man's money in his fack's mouth;

2. And put my cup, the filver cup, in the fack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn-money: and be did according to the word that Fofeph bad spoken.

2. Put my Cup: Jofeph having before honoured Benjamin, (ch.43.34.) he now tries the Temper of his Brethren, whe

ther moved with Envy they would give him up, or help him in his danger.

3. Affoon as the morning was light, the men were fent away, they and their Afles.

4. And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Jofeph Said unto his fteward, Up, follow after the men, and when thou doeft overtake them, fay unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

f. Is not this it in which my lord drinketh? and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in fo doing.

5. And whereby indeed he divineth? Or, Maketh tryal, as it is in the Margent. It does not ap

pear that Jofeph ufed any Magical and Superftitious Divination; all that can be inferr'd from the place is, That his Servant ufes this pretence, and might poffibly think his Mafter yfed the Arts of the Magicians of Egypt. See the Note on v. 15.

6. And he overtook them, and he spake unto them thefe fame words. 7. And

7. And they faid unto him, Wherefore faith my lord thefe words? God forbid that thy fervants should do according to this thing.

8. Bebold, the money which we found in our fack's mouthes, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan how then should we fteal out of thy lord's houfe, filver or gold?

8. Behold, the money, &c. A moft excellent defence.It was not likely that they

who made Reftitution of what they: might have conceal

ed, would take away what belonged not to them. The Greek render the whole Verfe thus; If we have restored unto thee, from the land of Canaan, the money which we found in our facks, how should we fteal out of thy master's houfe filver or gold?

9. With whom foever of thy fervants it be found, both let him die, and we alfo will be my lord's bondmen.

9. We also: So very confident are they of their Inno

cence.

10. And he faid, Now alfo let o. Blameless: i.e. it be according unto your words: Innocent or Faultbe with whom it is found, fhall be lefs, as the Hebrew my fervant, and ye fhall be blame- word imports; but then confequently lefs. upon it they are af fured of Impunity, and fo much the word imports in this place. They fhall be treated as Innocent Perfons. Thus Innocence in the Scripture ftyle is put for Impunity, as Sin is for the Punishment thereof. See Exod. 20. 7. and 37.7Gen.49. 9. 1 King. 1. 21.

II. Then they speedily took down every man his fack -to the ground, and opened every man his fack.

12. And he fearched, and began at the eldeft, and left at the youngest and the cup was found in Benjamin's Jack.

13. Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his afs, and returned to the city..

13. Rent their

clothes: As a token

of their forrow. See ch.37.29.

14. And

14. And Judah and his brethren came to Jofeph's houfe: (for he was yet there) and they fell before him on the ground.

15. And Jofeph faid unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that fuch a man as I can certainly divine?

15. Divine? Or, Make trial, as in the Margent. The Hebrew word fometimes fignifies no more

than diligently to obferve and make trial, Gen. 30. 27: King. 20.33. Jofeph was a man of great Wifdom, and known to be fo among the Egyptians, and therefore not eafily cheated and impofed upon; and his Brethren might well think he would have a watchfull Eye over them, whom he had before charged as Spies.

16. And Judah faid, what Shall we fay unto my lord? what Shall we speak? or how shall we clear our felves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy fervants: behold, we are my lord's fervants: both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

out

16. God hath found the iniquity: Though as to this they were innocent, own the Juftice of yet they ought to God in chastifing their other fins by this way.

17. And be faid, God forbid that I fhould do fo, but the man in whofe hand the cup is found, be fhall be my fervant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

18. Then Judab came near unto him, and faid, O my lord, let thy fervant, I pray thee, Speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy fervant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

18. Came near : He came up to him, and becaufe he was fo great a Man in Egypt he excufeth his Prefumption.

19. My lord asked his fervants, faying, Have you a father, or a brother?

20. And we faid unto my lord, We have a father an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one, and his brother is dead, and be alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

21. And